Dead Man
by BertaS
Summary: It is just a slice of life – Snape found out as a spy thing.


Title: A Dead Man

Author: BertaS

Date Started: 4/27/16

Pairing: None

Rating: PG

Word Count: 1000 +/-

Warnings: Mild Nudity – Mild Violence

Summary: Not sure what to say about this one. It is just a slice of life – Snape found out as a spy thing that really should have a better ending. Could possibly be pre-slash if I could write more of it. Unfortunately, it's been sitting on my thumb drive for 3 years with no inspiration.

A/N: I do not own any of the characters, movies or anything else you may recognize. The only payment I will receive is reviews.

**A Dead Man**

He was a dead man, and it would not be a quick or easy death. Although, judging from the sounds and commotion a few moments ago, it might be a while before the Dark Lord got back to him.

He did wonder what could draw the Dark Lord's attention from punishing a spy.

He listened carefully, the habit of collecting all the information he could still holding sway. Not that he believed he would have a chance to pass on anything he learned. Nor was he, at the moment, able to hear anything of interest, just water dripping and the soft sobs of the man who had interrupted the Dark Lord.

Hearing was actually the only one of his senses that wasn't hampered in some way. Oh, he could still smell, not that he wanted to. The stench of this room was enough to take one's breath away. He had always hated coming down here for just that reason. Well, that and this was where the Dark Lord always saw to the prisoners personally. He had always felt his own death drawing near in this room.

His sight was obscured by a curse that if left untreated would result in permanent blindness, not that he was terribly concerned about that. He was fairly certain he would be dead long before that possibility occurred.

Speech, well, they wanted to hear him scream, which he could do around the ball gag in his mouth. Although, he had yet to give them that satisfaction. They had forced a couple of grunts and a low growl out of him, but then, they had barely started.

Touch, he could feel the cold iron cuffs that suspended him from the rafters around his wrists and the damp stone floor under the toes of his right foot. The left foot had too many shattered bones to feel much of anything. His ribs ached. He was unsure if they were broken or just cracked. Breathing was still tolerable. His left shoulder was out of the socket and hurt with every movement. The fingers of that had were starting to go numb. He almost wished his sense of touch were somehow muted, even as he wiggled his fingers to keep from losing sensation altogether.

On top of all that, he was cold. Probably because what little clothing he retained was torn and not able to keep in much warmth. It certainly would not preserve his modesty.

The first indication that anyone had returned was a whispered Stupefy which caused the soft sobbing to stop. Then a warm hand slid around his waist. He inadvertently twitched then hissed in pain.

"Shh! We don't need company." A voice whispered in his ear. The hand continued around to settle on his sternum. He was a bit disconcerted by the unusual feeling of metal between the hand and his bare chest.

The other hand, holding a wand slid up his arm to the elbow. He was breathing hard and was surprised to feel magic travel along his forearm and hear the hiss of Parseltongue in his ear. Then several things happened all at once:

The shackles released.

He felt the tug of a portkey activating.

His arms fell to his sides,

He screamed.

The arms around him tightened their hold.

Then he and the other man crashed to the floor at the portkey's destination, and a voice he now recognized as Potter's said, "It's alright Professor, I've got you."

~~OO~~

Harry was surprised to have the Professor let out a deep breath and almost totally relax in his arms.

He looked up at Madam Pomphrey as she was working on the Professor's foot. "As soon as you do his shoulder, I'll take off the gag."

The woman raised her wand. "I'll just…" she started.

Harry cut her off with a shouted, "No!" and Severus tensed as he made a negative sound while seeming to try to burrow into Harry's chest.

Harry shifted the man in his arms to hold him tighter.

"Well! I never!" the woman huffed. "Alright, lets take care of that shoulder." She took hold of the upper part of Severus's left arm. "Now then, on three, okay."

Severus and Harry both nodded and Madam Pomphrey jerked on Severus's arm as she calmly said "Three." Severus bit down on the gag and snarled and Harry let out an explicative. She then added, "Two. One." As Harry began working on the buckle holding the gag in place. He eased it out of Severus's mouth and tossed it as far from them as he could.

Madam Pomphrey snorted and said, "It would have been simpler to just banish it."

Harry glared. "Go ahead and try it."

The woman frowned and waved her wand at the gag. There was a loud clicking noise and the innocent seaming ball sprouted six, eight-inch spikes, suddenly looking like a large very pointy child's jack.

Severus shuddered and pressed closer to Harry.

"Dear God." Pomphrey breathed with her hand on her chest as though to keep her heart from leaping out.

Harry ignored her, trying to catch Severus's eye. He eventually touched the man's chin and said, "Look at me, Professor." He frowned as he looked at the unfocused eyes.

Severus groaned slightly as he cleared his throat, still working his jaw. "Can't. Causam Caecus curse."

Pomphrey gasp again as Harry asked, "How long?"

"Hour or so." Severus said with a little shrug shifting slightly against the younger man. He winced a bit as the movement aggravated the muscles in his shoulder. "You have a little time for Granger to find the Counter." He then sighed, closed his eyes and the next breath came out as a soft snore.

End

A/N: Again, as with so much of my writing, there should be more. But I figure if in three years this is all I have, this is all there will be. Thanks for reading, please review. BertaS


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